Edison, NJ – Led by a MAAC-high matching three preseason all-league selections, Manhattan was slated to finish fourth in the upcoming season by the league's 11 head coaches.
Senior Jenny Bitzer (Messstetten, Germany / Louisiana Tech), junior Erica Modena (Massapequa, NY / Massapequa) and sophomore Nicole Copping (Blue Point, NY / Bayport-Blue Point) all were named to the 12-member Preseason All-MAAC team while matching Rider for the most selections.
Bitzer Breakdown
A year ago, the German native earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-MAAC Second Team honors ... Led a Jasper team that allowed a league-low 14 goals, including just three during league play, while helping register 11 shutouts.
Copping Breakdown
Made an immediate impact on the offensive end as a rookie, ranking fourth in the MAAC with six assists while adding a pair of goals.
Modena Breakdown
One of the top offensive forces in the country a year ago … Ranked second in the MAAC and 28th nationally with 13 goals, including four of the game-winning scores (4th MAAC), while adding two assists … Scored in 10 of Manhattan's 19 games with the Jaspers going 8-1-1 during that time.
Three-time defending MAAC women's soccer regular season champion Monmouth was selected as the preseason favorite in 2016 while senior forward Alexis McTamney was voted as the Preseason Player of the Year, as voted by the league's 11 head coaches. Monmouth earned 119 points with 10 first place votes, followed by defending MAAC champion, Siena, which earned 98 points. Rider finished just behind the Saints with 96 points, earning the remaining first place vote.
Manhattan, which reached the MAAC Finals in 2015 for the first time in program history, finished fourth in the poll with 86 points, followed by Marist with 71 points to round out the top five. Niagara University and Quinnipiac University tied for sixth place in the poll, each receiving 62 votes, while Fairfield University finished four points behind with 58 points, good for seventh. In eighth was Canisius College with 35 points, while Iona College finished in ninth with 27 tallies, and Saint Peter's University closed out the poll with 12 points.
Joining Modena on the Preseason All-MAAC lineup at the forward position is McTamney and Nadya Gill from Quinnipiac. Joining Coping at the midfield position on the All-MAAC team is Marist's Hope Quinonez, Rider's Hollie Kelsh and Siena's Madison Vasquez. Bitzer represents the Jaspers on defense and is joined by Julie Spracklin of Monmouth, Meghan McCabe from Rider and Siena's Tara Sobierajski. The goalkeeper is Bethany-May Howard of Rider.
For all up-to-date information on women's soccer, visit maacsports.com and for championship information, visit maacsports.com/womenssoccer.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
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1.
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Monmouth (10)
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119
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2.
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Siena
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98
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3.
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Rider (1)
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96
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4.
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Manhattan
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86
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5.
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Marist
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71
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T6.
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Niagara
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62
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T6.
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Quinnipiac
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62
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8.
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Fairfield
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58
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9.
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Canisius
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35
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10.
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Iona
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27
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11.
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Saint Peter's
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12
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Preseason All-MAAC Team
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Erica Modena
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Forward
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Manhattan
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Alexis McTamney
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Forward
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Monmouth
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Nadya Gill
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Forward
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Quinnipiac
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Nicole Copping
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Midfield
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Manhattan
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Hope Quinonez
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Midfield
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Marist
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Hollie Kelsh
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Midfield
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Rider
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Madison Vasquez
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Midfield
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Siena
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Jenny Bitzer
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Back
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Manhattan
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Julie Spracklin
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Back
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Monmouth
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Meghan McCabe
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Back
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Rider
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Tara Sobierajski
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Back
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Siena
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Bethany-May Howard
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Goalkeeper
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Rider
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Preseason Player of the Year
